Re: Can you overcharge a battery with trickle charger

These units have a multi color LED which shows "charge or maintain (off)" status. So they do not put out a constant .25 amp to the battery. They are meant and designed to be left on the battery for extended periods of time. I've used them for several winters now and the 5 year old battery in my motorcycle is still very serviceable and will last the season for sure.

Re: Can you overcharge a battery with trickle charger

You can hook up a trickle charger through 2 of those 24 hour timers, each set for about 1-2 hours each. I did this on my car battery in the basement of the house for 9 months while in Singapore. Came back, took battery up to garage, installed in the diesel Benz, glowed it for the required period; the engine started instantly.

Re: Can you overcharge a battery with trickle charger

Another idea if your interested would be a marine deep cycle battery. Their designed to power all the way to nothing and recharge without damage to the battery.
Regular batteries don't like this cycle idea as they fail faster. The only trickle charge issues I have is boiling all the water out of the battery exposing the metal plates inside. Then the battery is shot not too long after that.

Tenders charge at about 1.00 to 1.25 amps until the battery is "topped-off." They then go into "float" and do not charge until the battery voltage drops.

Maintainers charge at about 1.00 to 1.25 amps until the battery is fully charged, then go into a float/desulfation mode. The desulphation mode is supposed to prevent sulfation of the plates allowing the battery to last longer.

Trickle chargers charge at 1.00 to 1.25 amps continuously.

Continuously charging at a any amperage will cause overheating/boiling.

The only problem you would have to contend with is that if you use a tender or maintainer and the power does go out and the pump reverts to battery power, I think the "safety circuit" in the charging unit may "trip." You would then have to "re-set" it when the power comes back on.

Re: Can you overcharge a battery with trickle charger

I haven't been on much for a while, but when ever I see a post on electronics and batteries I read it to see what is being said. Please take what I am going to say in a constructive way. Much of what is in this post and other posts on this board regarding electrical systems, and particularly batteries and charging is "heresay" and old wives tales. Much of it is also true (or at least partially true info). What I would like to get out are some facts. Lead acid battery technology is not new. It is well understood. You may ask how does this guy know about battery technology and vehicle charging systems? I would. I have 35 years as a practicing electrical engineer and considerable time working with Delco engineers on vehicle electrical systems managing the team that designed the first Bose car stereo.

First when you overcharge a battery that gas that is being emitted is HYDROGEN. Read that HYDROGEN BOMB--VERY DANGEROUS. A slight spark and you may not have a head. Please take this advice seriously. Many people each year suffer very serious facial injuries from exploding batteries.

Battery chargers are basically broken down into 2 types

Constant Voltage (CV) or Constant Current (CC).

Within limits a CV battery charger holds its output to a constant voltage (about 13.8 vdc for a lead acid 6 cell battery). The current is also limited (hence the rating of the charger). When the batteries terminal voltage equals the chargers output voltage, all current flow should stop. (and maintain a trickle flow) (various events may cause this to not work perfectly)

A CC chargers is just that. It puts out a constant current regardless (within limits) as the battery charges. It can overcharge a bettery if it also does not limit the final battery voltage either by time some other mechanism.

Each charger type can also be broken down one more time. Those which monitor the batteries charge state and those who don't. These days it is very easy to make a small analog or digital computer control system to monitor the batteries charge state and have the chargeer keep the battery perfectly charged. Temperature ( a big factor) can lso be taken into account.

In my opinion the fastest way to charge a battery is constant currect , where the current is tapered down at the end (which it need to do to "fully top off a battery") in a monitored charger which monitors not only the batteries charge status but also the batteries temp.